Seaweed diving, temperate rainforests and KlimaSeniorinnen

Come on a trip around the globe with people taking environmental action

Good morning! I’m Sarah Hartley and this is The Northern Eco’s curated Sunday read from across the globe, The Planet on Sunday. As you’ve received this newsletter then either you subscribed, or someone forwarded it to you. If the latter, then you can return the favour using the handy little button below. The free weekly newsletter from the north of England will be back on Tuesday as usual and includes a feature on sustainability in sculpture.

Before we set off full pelt into 2024, here’s a read guaranteed to set the right tone for a positive start to the year. Gavin Haines at The Positive News picks the top 25 good news stories of last year with this list of What went right in 2023.

 “The ‘golden age of medicine’ arrived, animals came back from the brink, the renewables juggernaut gathered pace, climate reparations became reality and scientists showed how to slow ageing, plus more good news.” 

Read the full piece here.

Around the planet today

🇮🇳 In India

‘It’s Not for the Faint-Hearted’: The Story of India’s Intrepid Women Seaweed Divers.

This remarkable long read from Kamala Thiagarajan at the Pultizer Centre shines a light on the seaweed gatherers of Pamban. Pamban is a teardrop-shaped island known for its rich marine ecosystem. With over 4,000 species of plants and animals, it's considered by UNESCO to be one of the world's most bio-diverse hotspots.

“Like anyone who depends on the sea for a living, the seaweed divers are exquisitely tuned into their natural surroundings.

On the beach on Pamban island, they set their own rhythm, harvesting seaweed only 12 days every month, their schedule governed by the lunar cycle. They collect a week after the new moon (roughly mid-month) and a week before the full moon (toward the end of the month). This is when the tides are weaker, the waters gentler and more conducive for seaweed gathering. There's a gap of nine days between cycles to allow the seaweed to regenerate.”

Read the full piece here.

🇨🇭In Europe

‘We have a responsibility’: the older women suing Switzerland to demand climate action.

Ajit Niranjan Europe environment correspondent for The Guardian reports on  Switzerland’s KlimaSeniorinnen, or senior climate women, saying they are not who most people think of when they talk about those on the frontlines of the climate crisis. 

“The 2,400 members of the group live in one of the richest countries on Earth. Due to their age – the youngest is 64 – they will witness just a fraction of the extreme weather that their generation’s children and grandchildren will see.”

Read the full piece here.

🇳🇬 In Africa

A detailed investigation into cocoa grown illegally in a Nigerian rainforest heads to companies that supply major chocolate makers from Associated Press (AP).

“Those companies supply Nigerian cocoa to some of the world’s largest chocolate manufacturers including Mars Inc. and Ferrero, but because the chocolate supply chain is so complex and opaque, it’s not clear if cocoa from deforested parts of Omo Forest Reserve makes it into the sweets that they make, such as Snickers, M&Ms, Butterfinger and Nutella. Mars and Ferrero list farming sources on their websites that are close to or overlap with the forest but do not provide specific locations.”

Read the full article here. Video report here.

🇬🇧 In the UK

Merlin Hanbury-Tenison at The Ecologist magazine – founder of the Thousand Year Trust, which is dedicated to restoring Britain’s lost temperate rainforests – tells a new story of reforestation, bit by bit, that will see our descendants living in harmony with and not apart from Nature

“In a thousand years’ time Nature will have returned in all her glory to our islands. We will have bounced back from our nadir of 0.4% rainforest to the 20% that once sucked carbon out of the atmosphere, purified our rivers and gave shade to our wanderings.“

Read the full article here.

• Merlinʼs article will be the focus of the Resurgence Readers’ Group discussion on 16 January from 6.30 to 7.30pm. Information and tickets.

🇺🇸 In the United States of America

Republican states are going strong on solar and wind, but not for the climate. Hannah Ritchie at Sustainability by Numbers says republicans might not be big on climate, but they’re moving ahead on clean energy anyway.

“Here I’m going to look at wind and solar power generation across US states. The underlying data comes from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), which I have accessed from Ember Climate.“

Read the full story here.

We continue below for paid subscribers with quizzes, opportunity for a coffee and some Veganuary discussion. The Northern Eco remains independent, ad-free and proudly subscriber supported. If you're so minded, make it your 2024 new year's resolution to support independent media and join by subscribing below. The Planet on Sunday will return next month.